IDC reports global tablet shipments show the first Y-o-Y decline since the product category hit the market back in 2010-- Q4 2014 shipments are down by -3.2% Y-o-Y to 76.1 million units.

On the other hand full-year 2014 shipments total 229.6m units with "modest" 4.4% Y-o-Y growth.

"The tablet market is still very top heavy in the sense that it relies mostly on Apple and Samsung to carry the market forward each year," the analyst says. "Although Apple expanded its iPad lineup by keeping around older models and offering a lower entry price point of $249, it still wasn't enough to spur iPad sales given the excitement around the launch of the new iPhones. Meanwhile, Samsung's struggles continued as low-cost vendors are quickly proving that mid- to high-priced Android tablets simply aren't cut out for today's tablet market."

Apple might claim its biggest iPhone-driven quarter ever, but Android also reaches a milestone in 2014-- global Google-powered smartphone shipments reach 1 billion units in 2014, a first according to Strategy Analytics.

The analyst says overall 2014 smartphone shipments total 1.3bn (another industry record) with 30% growth, up from 1bn in 2013. Android device account for 81% of the total, one driven by shipments in emerging markets such as China and Indonesia.

The only threat to Android is, of course, iOS-- 2014 iPhone shipments total 192.7m with 15% smartphone share according to the analyst, as the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models reenergise Apple growth through high-end market sales. On the other hand Windows Phone remains niche with 3% share and shipments reaching 38.8m units.

According to Futuresource Consulting both smartphone and tablet markets are reaching saturation in W. Europe, but while smartphone shipments continue to grow the same cannot be said on a tablet market headed for decline.

In fact, the analyst says major markets have reached tablet saturation earlier than expected, and as such W. European tablet shipments are slowing down during 2015 before consumer shipment start declining by 2017.

Apple and Samsung make "more than half" of 2014 tablet shipments.

"There has been a significant shift towards smaller screen sizes in the last few years, but this is now stabilising, with 60% of the market falling into the 7- to 8-inch category in 2014," Futuresource adds. "In the UK, overall tablet shipments declined by 2%, despite double digit growth in the total W. European market and 24% growth in E. Europe."

According to Kantar Worldpanel the iPhone 6 launch brought improvement to Apple's smartphone market in both Europe and the US during the 3 months ending November 2014, at the expense of the Android competition.

"While remaining the dominant global OS, Android’s market share dropped in most European markets and in the US where the decline was the first since September 2013," the analyst says. As a result Samsung "particularly" feels the squeeze during the period, while Motorola actually sees growth thanks to the value for money appeal of the Moto X and Moto G refreshes.

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